Christian Huygens and the law of entrainment

In my Drumming for Peace programs I tell the story of the Dutch scientist Christian Huygens. The story illustrates a principle of peacemaking. The story illuminates for me a conviction not only that rhythm is at the heart of the universe, but that the rhythms of creation tip toward synchronization.

In 1665, Christian Huygens, a Dutch scientist, who was also a clock maker and inventor of the pendulum clock, had placed two of his pendulum clocks next to each other on the wall. After several days he noticed that the pendulums, which had started off randomly, were swinging in synchronization. He observed that there was nothing material that connected one clock to the other.

From his observation he explored what happened when oscillators or things that pulsed were placed in close proximity. He discovered that the pulses tended to “entrain” or synchronize. The law of entrainment says that when pulses are placed close together they tend to come into a common rhythm, rather than work at odds with one another.

Scientists have observed this law of entrainment in heart cells placed near each other and have observed it in speech and body patterns in human dialogue. This tells me that the divine mystery has drummed out a rhythmic principle within the universe that communicates this truth: It is easier and more natural for our life rhythms to entrain and harmonize, than to clash and work against each other.